Lips red like cherries in the spring

Chapter Two - Don't call me stranger.

—THE NEXT MORNING—

Since it had become a habit, Nina quietly walked down her stairs. Indeed, when her mother was still alive and worked as a nurse she mostly used to get night shifts. So now, almost 3 years later, Nina couldn't get rid of the reflex and kept walking through her house in total silence as she used to do to help her mother rest.

She grabbed the mail, didn't read it, and turned on the coffee machine before finally deciding on her outfit. She chose a black tank top, blue jeans overalls and electric blue doc martens, her favorites. Putting her glasses on her nose, she headed back to the kitchen to eat her breakfast and feed the cat, and as soon as she finished, she sprinted to brush her teeth, locked her front door, put on her favorite beanie before riding her bike to school.

Nina was a top student who never had any trouble or calls from her teachers, so she couldn't afford to be a minute late. Actually, the second she slacked off or relaxed a little too much, the administration would ask her questions. Too many questions. And most of them Nina wouldn't want to answer.

Taking her usual route, it was within a few minutes that she spotted her modest high school's building ahead - parking her bike in the designated place she was entirely caught up in her music.

Suddenly, someone nearly tore her headphones from her ears and screamed,

"GUESS WHO KISSED A GIIIIIIRL THIS SUMMER???"

A green eyed young woman asked now facing her, Nina beamed at her sight,

"I don't know Norah, maybe Miss Collins?"

Norah punched her arms playfully pretending to look disgusted,

"Ewww never, no way. Besides, of all the Milfs at school she's the worst. She's so mean and also last year she-"

"Then who?

"You promise you won't laugh at me?"

Nina frowned in surprise at the question,

"Why would I make fun of you? I'm happy for you."

She saw Norah's shoulders slacken with sadness,

"It's just that, I tried to say hi to her this morning but she completely ignored me"

Nina's eyes widened,

"Wait a minute, you mean she's a girl from school?"

She said it a little loudly but Norah put her hand over her mouth,

"Yes but shut up girl! Anyway I think it's because there are a lot of people at school right now, and maybe she's not out or she's just shy...So, I'll try to speak to her one on one in gym later-"

Then Norah's sentence came to a dead end. Intrigued, Nina followed her best friend's gaze to what she was staring at, and it was Johanna. Johanna, the terrible Johanna who had mercilessly bullied them for three years in elementary school. The terrible Johanna who was currently very busy kissing in front of her entire high school audience her new boyfriend, apparently Alex.

"Norah?" said Nina simply, grabbing her best friend's hands gently trying to bring her some comfort but the latter kept her eyes glued on the girl she already appreciated so much now kissing somebody else, she didn't answer.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

But her friend shook her head and she turned her eyes definitely away from the image that had a little bit broken her heart, she spoke,

"Let's go, I won't be late because of her".

This last word said in such a bitter tone made Nina understand the state of sadness in which she was really.